Monday, March 25, 2013

I will ruin your career –Ijirigho tells young athlete

AFN President, Solomon Ogba

*for sponsoring self to compete for Cross River
Dr. Bruce Ijirigho, the consultant to the Cross River state athletics development project, has promised 16-year oldEdoki Phabean, a high and long jump athlete, that he will ruin his career and ensure he does not compete for Nigeria.
What
is Phabean’s sin? Phabean alongside three other athletes from the
state: Benedicta Okorie (Tripple and long jump), Blessing Ofoeneme (400m
and 200m) and David Eyo (Discuss and triple jump) went for the D. K.
Olukoya athletics championship in Lagos to compete for their state when
it was obvious that the state was not going to attend the championship.
The
Olukoya event was the basis for the selection to the African Youth
Athletics championship. The four athletes on merit qualified to
represent Nigeria in Warri.
On return to Calabar, the Cross River
state capital, the consultant were angry that the athletes took their
own funds to go to Lagos. He demanded for apology from the athletes
which he was given.
Phabean and Benedicta had to lose their
month’s allowance in addition. When the national camp opened, Ijirigho
sent in 12 athletes. Eight were ‘under aged’ and did not compete in the
qualifiers and were returned back to Calabar.
Angry and furious,
he ordered and was alleged to have paid national team coaches to send
the two stubborn athletes out of camp. They had to travel to Calabar
from Port-Harcourt to apologise to Ijirigho. The duo returned to
Port-Harcourt upon complaints to Maria Woophil, the secretary general,
from where they were asked to go back so as to avoid the trouble of
Ijirigho making the athletes spend more time on the road than in camp.
Back
home, Chief Edoki, Phabean’s 65-year old father took Ijirigho on.
Ijirigho lied it was the Commissioner. When Chief Edoki got to the
Commissioner, he pointed at Ijirigho. The matter was taken to the
Governor’s Chief of Staff who called for a meeting this morning.
As
it is, the Nigerian contingent is formed and excluding the two young
athletes. To pacify the dad, he was offered money, which he rejected.
Has
Dr. Bruce Ijirigho not started destroying the career of the athlete he
threatened? We shall update our readers with the further developments in
the state. Keep up with us.